Toost



(No Model.)

3 Sheets-Sheet 2. H. D. HERRINGTON.-

POTATO PLANTER.

Patented Nov. 13

In VCR/110T.

N. PETCRS F'lwhrumagnml. washiwun. B. c.

(No Model.) 3 SheetsSheet 3.

H. DEERRINGTON.

POTATO PLANTER, N0. 28,237. v Patented Nov. 13, 1883.

M/T/nesscs; Dayan/110V.

Nv PEXERS. Photo-Lithognv m Washinginm D G.

Fries.

on noosic, new YORK.

POTATOi-PLANTER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 288,237, dated November 13, 1883.

Application filed Time 8, 1883. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern Be it known that I, HENRY D.HERRING TON, a resident of the town of Hoosic, in the and exact description of the invention, that will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and

to the letters of reference marked thereon,

which form a part of this specification.

Similar letters refer to similar parts in the several figures therein.

My invention relates to improvements in potato-planters of that class employing a hopper provided with asuitable platform, to which the potatoes are fed from the hopper, and fromwhich they are dropped into a receptacle connecting with a spout and delivered from the latter intoa furrow in the ground just back of the furrow-opener, where they arecovered by suitable followers. In my invention the hopper is provided with suitable mechanism for supplying the platform with potatoes, and the spouts are provided with suitable valves at their upper and lower ends, which are automatically opened and closed to drop the potatoes in hills at a regular distance apart. The mechanism is operated by suitable gearing connected with traction-wheels. The hopper is also provided with suitable means for regulating the number of potatoes delivered upon the platform.

The objects of my invention are, first, to provide a certain and rapid means of dropping and covering potatoes in hills and rows in such a manner that the hills and rows shall be separated from each other by a uniform distance; second, to provide a suitable device for stamping the earth which covers each hi1].

Figure 1, Sheet 1, is a front elevation of a portion of my improved planter. Fig. 2, Sheet 2, is aside elevation of same. Fig. 3, Sheet 3, is a side elevation of a part, and a vertical section of the hopper and platform, taken at the broken line a: y in Fig. 4, Sheet 3. Fig. 4, Sheet 3, is a plan view of the hopper and platform.

A and A represent the traction wheels,

fixed to revolve with the axle B and gearwheel 0, fixed on said axle. Gear 0 engages with pinion D to revolve shaft E. Frame H is provided with suitable bearings for axle B, and supports the various mechanisms. Shaft E is provided with chain-wheel N, adapted through chain 0 to revolve chain-wheels M and M, Fig. 2. Chain-wheels M M are each fixed upon and revolve a crank-shaft, I J J, one of said crank-shafts being shown in Fig. 1. Said crank-shafts are connected with the agitator K-one at each end. The agitator is provided with four sets of teeth, t, which pass up along and down through openings or slits L in the bottom of the hopper F and platformVas the crank-shaft revolves, this revolution being such as to cause the teeth to travel in a direction from thehopper toward the platforniwhen they are projected up through said bottom openings in the position shown by dotted lines in Fig. 3, Sheet 3. The potatoes which are deposited in hopper F F are thus gradually forced by the action of the agitator upon them from the hopper out onto the platform. The quantity thus delivered upon the platform can be regulated by the lever 0, connected by wire 0 with the movable board or bottom L, as shown, one end of L being hinged to the frame or loosely fastened by a screw, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4. If the potatoes are delivered too fast, L is raised by the lever, which lifts the potatoes up beyond the reach of teeth t, or sufficiently to retard their speed of delivery upon the platform. As the potatoes are delivered upon the platform, an attendant sitting upon the seat S selects the desired number for a hill and deposits it or them in the box T, the bottom of which opens into the spout '1. There may be any desired number of spoutsone for each row to be planted. Ihave shown two, with which two rows of potatoes may be planted at the same time. The box T is provided with the horizontally-sliding valve (2', Fig. 2, connected with one end of the lever I), fulcrumed upon the fixed arm 0. The other end of lever b is acted upon by pin a, Fig. 1,

projecting from one side of" wheel y, fixed to revolve upon shaft E, from which it appears that. each revolution of shaft E operates to withdraw valve d from box T and allow the potatoes deposited therein to drop down to the lower end of the spout. The lower end of the spout is provided with the hinged cover d, having the arm 6, to'the projecting end of which is attached the cord h, passing over pulley p, and connected at the other end with lever 12, as shown in Fig. 2, which acts to open cover or valve-d at the same time that valved is opened. The valves are closed again by the spring 9, which reacts upon arm e, andthrough cord h pulls lever 12 back to itsnormal position, at the same time forcing valve (1 back into box T. lVhen the attendant has deposited a potato in box T, the operation of the machine is as follows: At the proper place for a hill of potatoes thevalves are both opened by'the mechanism described and the potato fallstothe-bottom of the spout; but the valves have closed again before the potato reaches the bottom,'and it is held at the mouth of the spout upon the cover until the valves are again opened, when the potato at the mouth of .the spout falls out'upon the ground and anotherfalls from valve clto take its place, from whichit appears that the potatoes are certain."

to be'droppedat regular intervals, provided only that the attendant deposits a potatoupon the slide cl at any time before it opens.

The furrow-opener WV prepares a place in theground to receive the potatoes, thedepth of which may be varied by varying the height of the opener relatively to the traction-wheels A A. The potatoes are then covered by the followers o0-one on each side of the furrow,and inclined to fill the furrow again. openers and followers may be raised up fromthe ground,when not in use, by means of the lever-handle U, attached to shaft it, provided with arm a, and chain or cableb, attached-toarm Z, fixed upon the frame which supportsthe furrow-opener. The opener-frame is thusv lifted up against the frame which supports the followers, and then takes the latter with it up against or near the axle B, both frames being connected with pole a by the arms t and t.

w is the whiffletree-evener, attached to-pole a, and 'w a foot-rest for the driver who sits 2 upon the hopper F, any suitableseat being provided thereon. Q, represents the stamper, attached to the upright q, the latter'being pivoted to the lever 1%, which is fulcrumed upon the standard 1", and so arranged relatively to wheel S, fixed.

The furrOW- upon shaft E, and provided with the semicircular flange s, that as the shaft and wheel revolve the flange will strike the short arm of the lever and raise stamper Q, and hold it suspended until the flange haspassed by the lever, when the stamp er will fall by its own weight upon the ground, stamping down the earth and marking the place of the hill of potatoes; or it may be forced down by a spring. By means of a set-screw the angular position of the flanged wheel on the shaft can be varied to adjust or readjust the action of the stamper relatively to that of the other parts of the machine. The upright (1 moves between projecting arms q to guide it in its course, and the spring 8 causes it to return to a vertical position after .passin g over any obstruction which mightthrow the stamper back from .themachine.

Thestamper may be adjusted to rise to different heights by means of different pivot-h oles, as shown. The stamper may be used withacorn-planter or any other seed-planter. Flexible spouts may .be used and connected with the furrow-openers.

What I claimas new,,and desiretosecure by Letters Patent, is I 1. In a potato-planter, the combination .of a platform for receiving and supporting potatoes, a valved receptacle opening into adoublevalved spout, and suitable mechanism for operating the valves in said receptacle andspout, substantially as described, and for the purposes set forth.

2. In a .potatolor similar planter, the :combination, with a conductingspout provided with upper and lower valves, of the .cable h, pulley p, lever 72, and means for actuatingthe lever to which the connecting means of the valves are attached, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

3. Thecombination of potato-.hoppe-rF'F, platform V, agitator K, regulator L, conducting-spouts T'T, with their upper and lower valves, and suitable mechanism for operating said .parts, substantially as described, andfor the purposes set forth.

Intestimony whereof I havehereunto setxiny handthis'iith day of June, 1883.

GEO. A. MosHER, JOHN T. BooTH. 

